


Sky High Hearts

by SerStolas



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Veterans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-11-17 11:31:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11274558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerStolas/pseuds/SerStolas
Summary: Finn Skywalker is living with his adoptive sister and just trying to figure out what to do with his life after a medical discharge from the Army.  Rey Skywalker is learning to fix planes but really wants to fly in between college classes and fencing bouts.  Enter Poe Dameron, Air Force veteran, flight instructor, and college professor.  What will develop during one hot summer in Pine Lakes?





	1. Discussions

**Author's Note:**

> Star Wars belongs to Disney/LucasArts
> 
> Find me on tumblr at nytemere.tumblr.com

Finn swore he’d sleep until noon, but his body forced him out of bed at 10am that Saturday morning. Now he stood watching Rey across the kitchen island while eating a somewhat stale bowl of Lucky Charms and milk. She closed the fridge door with her hip and nibbled on an apple while watching Finn. He could see her positively brimming with energy. 

Rey had trouble staying still and preferred to be busy every moment of the day. After spending five years in the military before receiving an honorable medical discharge, Finn liked to have a bit of completely unscheduled downtime, but he knew Rey needed something to keep her busy today. She’d had finals last week felt a little off-kilter waiting for her grades.

Finn sighed and pushed his now empty cereal bowl over the edge of the sink where it hit the metal with a clang. Rey eyed him but didn’t say anything.

“Alright Rey, what is it you want to do today?” he asked at last.

He’d known Rey since he’d been 11 and she’d been 6, when they’d first been put in the same foster home. Years later they’d ended up with the first foster, then adoptive father, Luke Skywalker. That the man had been willing to take in not just one, but two older children had surprised more than a few people in Luke’s life.

While Luke was a bit unconventional, Finn and Rey had been grateful for a more permanent home. Once Rey had turned eighteen and graduated high school a year ago, Luke had wandered off on some sabbatical though, his contact with his children infrequent. He had, however, continued providing Rey with financial support when she’d started college.

It had hurt a little, though, six months ago when Finn had arrived home, discharged from the military, to find only Rey awaiting him at the airport. Luke sent his regrets but not much else.

So Finn had moved back into the family home, their father’s bedroom untouched except when one of them wandered in to vacuum and dust out of habit.

“Wanna go watch the planes at the airport?” she asked.

Finn hid a smile. There was a small airport just a few miles from the house, one where Rey already spent most of her days since the local community college’s aviation mechanic’s program was based there. Normally he’d ask why she wanted to spend a day off there, but this was Rey. She’d been obsessed with planes, piloting, anything of the like, since he’d met her in their first foster home.  
And it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do.

“If you want,” Finn replied. “Isn’t there a restaurant out there? We can have dinner there.”

Rey paused. “It’s a little…”

“Dad just put more money in our shared account, Rey” Finn reminded her. “If he’s not going to be here for a family dinner, you and I might as well have one once in awhile.”

Rey’s smile fell just a little at that reminder, and Finn grimaced inwardly. He had no idea what had possessed Luke Skywalker to suddenly go on some quest of self- discovery when his daughter graduated high school, leaving her alone in a big, empty house. Rey liked her privacy, but she hated living alone. While she’d never wish ill on Finn, when the Army had called to inform her that her brother had been seriously wounded in combat and was being sent back to the States for eventual medical discharge, she’d been grateful that she wouldn’t be alone.

“Maybe we can count the planes that land,” Finn suggested, levering himself up on the counter. His back would never be the same after the IUD, and Rey could hear the soft click of the metallic joints of his right leg.

At least he’s still alive, and he’s walking, Rey reminded herself.

“Sounds great. You get dressed, I’ll pack us something for lunch,” she replied, smiling again.

Finn smiled and limped back towards his room, thinking he’d do just about anything to put a smile on his sister’s face.  
~~  
They settled in the parking lot in their father’s old Wrangler, the cloth top pulled back in the warm spring weather. Both of them leaned their seats back, staring at the pale blue sky, counting contrails. It seemed to relax Rey, even thought they weren’t really doing much. Knowing Rey, they’d spend a couple of hours watching planes then head to the restaurant for lunch.

He was content to watch for half an hour before he fished his phone out to play Sudoku, even while Rey kept her eyes sky high.  
He glanced over and noticed the wistful expression on her face.

“What’s up, Rey?” he asked. Rey was a very self-possessed person, and one of the strongest people he knew, but she had to be prodded sometimes into revealing what she wanted. Too many years in the foster care system, listening to broken promises; too many years going hungry or without because she’d been placed with a family who only wanted the stipend that came with a foster kid. Their last foster home before Luke had been like that. They both still had scars from punishments doled out by the cruel old man who’d put on sufficiently nice face for the social workers, but beat them behind closed doors.

It had taken broken bones for someone to finally do something. Finn’s jaw tightened at the remembrance of Rey at age eleven, left arm in a bright orange cast, eyes staring straight ahead as the social work lead them into Luke’s house. He could still hear Snoke’s cries before the police had taken the old man away, claiming he wanted to press assault charges against Rey for finally fighting back against his abuse.

He’d felt he’d failed to protect Rey that time, and it still haunted him. Rey had informed him bluntly that it wasn’t his fault, and that if he hadn’t called the police, it would have been a lot worse for both of them. Finn was fairly certain Rey was the braver of the two of them.

“I’d love to be up there,” she said softly, pointing at a small aircraft as it circled in preparation for landing. “Flying.”

Luke had his private pilot’s license and had taken them up in the air once or twice. Rey had been utterly charmed by it.

Finn recalled her internet searches just a few days ago, looking up the cost of flying lessons. He knew how badly she wanted to be in the air, how free she’d felt when Luke had taken them up.

He thumbed his lower lip as he turned his gaze back skyward, wondering if he could either pick up extra hours at work, or maybe a second job. He was working tech support right now, but there were always overtime opportunities.

Yeah, for Rey he’d do just about anything. Maybe he could send Luke an email, knowing Rey never would. And if Luke wouldn’t pay for it, Finn would find a way to. Rey already had gym fees at her fencing club, and he didn’t want to take that hobby away from her.

“Well, Spring semester’s just about over…maybe we can see what we can do this summer,” Finn suggested after several minutes and thought.

“That’s thousands of dollars, Finn,” Rey reminded him.

Finn shrugged. “We’ll figure something out, Rey. Hey, wasn’t one of your instructors at the community college a flight instructor too?” He lifted his black brows, brown eyes meeting Rey’s. “Maybe we can talk to him.”

Rey shifted in her seat, clearly not wanting to get her hopes up, not after their lives of so many broken promises.

Then she took a deep breath. “Maybe we can.”


	2. Maz's Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Rey run into some old friends of their father's, and find out there's a lot that they don't know.
> 
> (And if you know anything about strained family dynamics, it is entirely possibleto run blindly into family you never knew you had)
> 
> (I promise Poe will appear within the next few chapters. I'm still in the process of setting things up)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to LucasArts/Disney
> 
> Find me on tumblr: nytemere.tumblr.com

Rey had passed Maz’s Place a hundred times or more since she’d started in the aviation mechanics program at Pine Lakes Community College. Since the restaurant sat literally right next to the little terminal at the regional airport that housed the college’s mechanic’s program, she saw it on a daily basis when class was in session; she’d just never gone inside until today.

As she and Finn stepped through the front door, she was struck by the eclecticness of the décor. Signed photos of stars hunt next to random memorabilia from movies and musicians. A taxidermy crow perched just above the host stand and other random objects, be they tools or old signs, decorated spots on the wall. The place had a feeling of comfort, a bar and grill that immediately welcomed you in and invited you to stay. 

Finn grinned. “Isn’t it great?” he asked Rey. “Came here once with Slip. No one else at First Order likes it, but they’ve got the best food and atmosphere.” He lead her up to the stand where they were greeted by a tiny woman, gray haired woman with dark skin and a pair of circular orange shaded glasses perched on her nose. 

“Welcome to Maz’s Place,” she said with a wide smile. “Wait’ll be just another minute or two. Name please?”

Rey was vaguely aware of the door opened behind them as Finn spoke to the old woman. She blinked at as an older gentleman in worn blue jeans, white button down, and black vest wandered in with a giant at his side. The taller man’s age was impossible to determine, but he had deep brown hair and a wild beard that reminded Rey of an 1800s fur trapper. The giant was muttering something in Polish, though took Rey a few minutes to identify, and only because Luke had spoke multiple languages and she’d insisted he start teaching her when she’d been twelve.

She felt Finn shift beside her as he gave the woman their name. “Skywalker,” Finn told the old woman with a smile. “Just two.”

“Hmph, just two?” the old woman asked with a shake of her head. “The next time you talk to that father of yours, Finn Skywalker, you tell Luke that Maz says needs to come home.”

Finn froze, and Rey with him, when the old woman, Maz, spoke their father’s name.

“You know Dad?” Rey blinked, eyes widening. She’d lived with Luke for seven years before he’d decided to go off on his weird quest of self discovery, and they’d lived in the area longer, and they’d never met the old woman before them.

“Of course I know Luke,” Maz chuckled. “And I know of you, Rey Skywalker. You have quite a future ahead of you, mark my words.”

Rey felt as if her day had suddenly been flipped on its head. They’d come here after hours of watching planes just looking for a quiet dinner, and ended up evidently running into an old friend of their father’s who knew about them, but who they didn’t know.

“Wait, Skywalker?” the vested gentleman who’d just come in eyed Finn and Rey a long moment and frowned. “Your last name is Skywalker?”

It wasn’t exactly an uncommon name, but it also wasn’t a common one around here, Rey thought.

“Yeah,” Finn piped in, exchanging a confused glance with Rey. “Finn and Rey Skywalker.”

“Oh for the love of…Luke you idiot,” the older gentleman muttered.

Finn frowned. “What about Dad?”

The older gentleman gave a bark of laughter. “Luke Skywalker was an old friend of mine, though I haven’t seen him in years. Name’s Han Solo. This here is Cheslav Baka, though he goes by Chewie.” 

Rey saw his gaze shift, becoming a bit less guarded, friendlier. She thought back, recalling the name from Dad’s old stories, but someone she and Finn had never been introduced to. “Han Solo? Dad mentioned you a couple of times.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Han snorted. “It’s always been hard to pin that bastard down. How is Luke?”

“Why don’t I show you four to a table and you can continue chatting about Luke,” Maz suggested in an amused tone, catching their attention again. Rey and Finn blushed a bit, but Han just laughed. Finn glanced at Rey and she shrugged. Her intuition was telling her it was alright, and Finn always trusted Rey’s gut feelings. Besides, it might be interesting to learn a bit more about one of the people their father used to tell them stories about.

Maz lead them all to a window booth and took their orders, patting Finn and Rey idly on the shoulders before she headed back to the kitchen.

As they looked over the menu, Rey glanced up at Han and finally recognized him of an old photo their father had left sitting on the fireplace mantel. They exchanged idle chitchat as Maz returned to take their orders and Finn and Rey found themselves relaxing a bit in the presence of Han Solo. Perhaps, Rey thought, they shouldn’t be quick to trust Han or Chewie, but Luke had never said anything bad about them, and as the conversation progressed Rey and Finn began wondering why their father had never bothered introducing them to someone he clearly had quite an interesting history with, and someone he had mentioned fairly often in his stories to them.

They talked about Han’s time flying with Luke in the military, years before Finn and Rey had been born, and some of the trouble that Han and Luke used to get into on base. 

The feeling that there was more that they should know about Han began to creep up on both siblings as they finished their meals.

“So, I suppose you don’t know me well, but I knew your father for a number of years,” Han mused as he leaned back in the booth. “I know of you two, he used to send pictures of you to Leia once a year or so after he first adopted you two.”

Finn frowned slightly. “Leia Organa?” he asked. The name sounded familiar, another name Dad had mentioned in stories, but someone they, again, had never met.

Han lifted a brow. “Yes, that Leia. If you two are up for it after dinner I’ll give you my number and I can introduce you sometime.”

Rey looked at him blankly and Chewie muttered in Polish again about Luke’s stubbornness.

Han glanced at Chewie and then scowled faintly. “Has Luke never explained to you two how he knows Leia?” he asked. His tone was suspicious.

This conversation was fast taking a turn Rey and Finn did not expect, and yet none of it sent off any alarm bells in their head warning of danger.

“No…should it?” Rey asked.

Han looked incredulous. “Leia Organa is Luke Skywalker’s twin sister,” he said, looking back and forth between the adopted siblings.

Finn and Rey both froze in their seats, eyes wide in surprise.

Han swore softly and inelegantly. 

“Seems Luke should have done a lot more explaining to you,” Han informed them. “But if he neglected to, I suppose I will, if you two are willing.”

Finn and Rey looked at each other again, and then back at Han, and nodded very slowly.

“Well then, let me tell you a bit about Leia Organa-Solo,” Han began.


	3. You Need a Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Finn deal with their new found knowledge, and they find a pilot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to LucasArts/Disney.

Finn and Rey had left Maz's place feeling more than a bit confused that evening. Luke Skywalker had hardly ever mentioned his family to his adopted children, other than to say he'd had a falling out with them before he'd adopted the two of them. He'd never said any names, and Finn and Rey had never particularly desired to go digging into their father's personal files. After they'd settled into the Skywalker household, they'd been happy to have an actual home and family for the first time in their lives.

Luke had, though, told them old stories of friends of his, but now it was obvious he had neglected to mention two of those old friends were his twin sister and brother-in-law.

By mutual silent agreement, Finn and Rey hadn't discussed it that night. They both needed time to process all the new information. They had left with contact numbers for Han Solo and Leia-Organa-Solo, though, as well as Han's friend Chewie.

Finn had to work the following day, an early morning shift for a company he hated but paid him fairly well. At least Sunday mornings were usually quiet in tech support.

When he got home from his 6am to 3pm shift, Rey was leaning over the classified ads, absently chewing on a pretzel rod.

“Hey,” he said as he dropped his keys on the counter. “You doing alright?”

Rey glanced up at him, brown eyes unreadable. “I don't really know?” she said at last. “I mean, its a lot to take in. Some part of me is excited that we have family that wants to know us. The rest of me is wondering what all Dad's falling out with them was about and if this is really a good idea.”

“Well, Dad did tell us about them, even if he didn't mention they were related,” Finn ventured. “So they can't be all bad, can they?”

“I don't know,” Rey admitted. “I guess we can find out?”

“Might be nice to have more family around,” Finn added.

Rey smiled a little. “Yeah, and I really liked Han.”

“So did I.” Finn glanced at the adds. “Job hunting?” he asked.

“Yeah, need a summer job since I'm not taking any classes,” Rey told him. “I've only got one more year in my program so I might manage to get on at the airport, but I don't know.” 

“There was a sign up at Maz's?” Finn suggested. “Think it was waiting tables, but you could probably get in quickly and it would put you close to the airport, maybe let you see what all seems to be available around there?”

“It's a possibility,” Rey agreed.

“Also, I was thinking about yesterday,” Finn said. “I've been able to save up a bit of cash..it might pay for a couple piloting lessons.”

“But Finn, weren't you planning to get a new motorcycle?” Rey asked, concern flickering over her face. “You don't need to do that for me.”

“I don't have to, but I want to,” Finn told her. “It isn't as if I don't have a car to drive in the meantime. A bike can wait. I'd have to have it modified because of this anyway.” He tapped his prosthetic lightly. He glanced towards the ads. “Besides, if you get a job, you can put some money away towards it too. We'll both be paying for it.”

Rey's expression cleared. Finn had known that compromise would satisfy her. Rey just didn't like feeling that she owed anyone anything, a holdover from their childhood.

“I was looking up local instructors. My professor from the mechanics program is taking new students this summer,” she said.

Finn nodded. “Well I'm working 6 to 3 for the next week. Classes are out for you after this week, once you get your grades..”

“I'll call him later this week, see if he can maybe meet with us one afternoon,” Rey replied.

“Sounds good,” Finn agreed.

~~

Rey was true to her word. She texted Finn on his lunch break on Tuesday to let him know she'd be starting at Maz's that weekend, and that they had a meeting with her professor, a Professor Poe Dameron, on Thursday evening at 16:30.

Rey had always talked animatedly about her professor, not in an infatuated way, but in admiration. Finn knew the man was a former Air Force pilot and had been discharged a few years ago and had taught at the local community college since. He knew Poe maintained a plane at Pine Lakes Airfield and that Poe taught private lessons to help offset his income and the plane's upkeep.

Rey could have handled the meeting completely by herself, but since Finn was helping her cover the cost of lessons, she wanted him there, so he knew what he was paying for.

Finn grinned at the little airplane emoji that Rey sent with her last message and set his phone aside to finish his sandwich.

“What's got you grinning?” demanded a cold voice.

Finn glanced up and hid a grimace as his manager, Brennol Hux, entered the breakroom. Finn couldn't stand the man, and Hux was one of those managers that took delight in ruining his employee's days by micromanaging, but Finn maintained a professional manner around him.

“Just finishing my lunch,” he told Hux. He finished the last bite of his sandwich and rose to head back to his desk, shoving his phone in his back pocket. Hux would prefer that Finn head back to his desk early. It was a Tuesday and Finn could probably get a little overtime out of the afternoon too. The evening manager, Phasma, was a bit of a hard ass, but as long as Finn kept his head down and did his job she never minded him.

It was almost tempting to try and switch to an evening shift just so he wouldn't have to deal with Hux.

“See that you do,” Hux told him as Finn left the breakroom.

Finn huffed as he settled back at his desk and picked up his headset. He really needed a new job, but First Order Tech Support was one of the larger companies in the area, and finding a job that paid as much would be difficult.

He definitely thought about it though. 

~~

Finn stared up at the ceiling of his room, numbers by his bedside glowing 4:00 am in the dark. Tuesday night he'd fallen asleep, waking when he rolled out of bed during a nightmare at 3am. He'd managed to make it through Wednesday on cans of Monster, though he knew to cut himself off once he left work if he wanted any hope of sleeping Wednesday night.

Unfortunately tonight wasn't any better. He'd managed a fitful doze for a few hours, until he found himself trapped in another nightmare, reliving the events in Afghanistan again in his head. He could smell the harsh desert sand, the dry wind kicking up around their transport as they driven from one town to the next. He remembered seeing the odd package in the road, the driver coming to a halt. With insurgents you never knew what you were going to come upon in between towns.

His dream flipped to moments before the IUD went off, the weight of his squad mate trying to pull him back before it blew, then the searing pain through his body.

Finn awoke screaming, heart beating at a rapid tempo as he almost fell out of bed again. His door flew open and Rey stumbled in, staring at him with wide eyes for a moment before she approached carefully. She'd already learned during episodes like this not to approach Finn abruptly. Slowly, carefully, she wrapped her arms around her brother and rubbed circles on his back, telling him to breath with her. It had taken another twenty minutes for him to slip from the vestiges of the nightmare completely. 

Rey was now asleep on a blow up mattress she'd drug into his room, Finn felt a wave of guilt as he glanced towards her. Rey had told him more than once she didn't mind. She was just happy to have him back in the house. 

Luke's decision to just harry off on a trip and leave her alone hadn't done her any favors. Finn had to wonder why their father thought it was a good idea, but Luke was evidently dealing with his own issues.

Finn knew he wasn't getting back to sleep tonight, and it was going to be a very long Thursday. When his alarm when off at 4:30, he shut it down before it could wake Rey and slipped out of bed to get ready for work. He left a note for her on the kitchen counter and headed for First Order. Taking the day off wasn't an option right now, not with the call off system First Order had in place.

He somehow slogged through the day, drinking the crappy breakroom coffee that First Order stocked instead of energy drinks today. It tasted horrible, even with copious amounts of powdered cream and sugar, but it would get him through. He knew by 6:30 that today was not going to be a good day.

Thursday afternoon, Finn was running late. He cursed Hux under his breath as he dashed out to his beat up white with a black top Toyota FJ Cruiser (don't judge, it was a good deal!). It was 16:15 and they were meeting at Maz's Place, which was a good half hour away from here. 

Finn sent a quick text to Rey to let her know he'd be late before shoving the key into the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot. Sure it was over an hour of overtime and the money would be good, but he'd told Hux repeatedly that he needed to leave on time today. Hux had proceeded to try and do everything he could to ensure Finn would not leave work at 3pm, including scheduling a mandatory meeting from 3pm to 4pm.

Finn was really beginning to wonder if the hourly rate for tech support was really worth it. There had to be a better option, one where he didn't feel like shoving his manager down a garbage chute.

Thankfully rush hour (yes they still had rush hour in Pine Lakes) wasn't bad yet and Finn managed to pull into the parking lot at Maz's place thirty five minutes later. He pulled in next to a slightly older model Honda CR-Z painted with orange and white stripes. He briefly wondered who might own a hybrid with such an interesting paint job.   
He saw their father's old Wrangler too, indicating Rey was already here, and probably impatiently waiting for him. Finn sighed and hurried inside, unsurprised when a tall lanky teen pointed Finn towards a back corner booth. 

As he walked to the booth, Finn saw Rey already there, her neat brown hair pulled back into one of those rather interesting ponytail alternatives that she'd seen in a sci fi film they'd watched a few days ago. Across from her was a startlingly handsome Latino man with thick, dark curls that fell just over his forehead and warm brown eyes. His expression crinkled into a smile as he looked up and saw Finn approach.

“This your brother, Rey?” the man asked in a curious tone.

Rey glanced up at Finn and scooted over just a bit so he could sit in the booth beside her, scowling at him for just a moment. “This is my brother Finn. He's usually on time.”

Finn sighed, adjusting his left leg when he felt a cramp building in his thigh. “Hux decided at noon to schedule a mandatory meeting from 3 to 4, couldn't help it, Rey.”

“You really need a new job,” Rey replied, her expression softening a moment in sympathy. 

“I know, peanut, one of these days,” Finn promised. He glanced across the table at the attractive man who was watching their byplay with some amusement. “Yeah, I'm Finn Skywalker. You must be Poe Dameron?” He thought that was the name of Rey's professor.

“Call me Poe,” Poe replied with a grin and offered his hand across the table. Finn shook it, swearing he felt a slight spark when his hand touched Poe's, but Poe just kept smiling and didn't seem to notice. “Figure we can talk more about business once the food is here. Easier to talk numbers when you don't have an empty stomach.”

Rey chuckled as Finn let his hand drop back to the table top. “Truer words are never spoken.”

Finn glanced at his tiny little sister and had to agree. He and Rey had spent one too many days hungry during the summer when school wasn't in session, though they made light of it now.

A bubbly young woman with a shock of green hair and tanned skin appeared beside the table. “Hey Rey, your brother finally here?” she glanced towards Finn as he read the name 'Petra' on her nametag. “I'm Petra, your server for the evening. Anything to drink?”

“Iced tea,” Finn replied, already knowing it would be sweet. It seemed downright impossible to get anything but sweet tea anywhere in Virginia. “Ready to order too.” Finn didn't feel like making his sister or Poe wait any longer for their food, and he had a feeling Poe was the kind who would wait until Finn was ready to order.

“ 'Course,” Petra replied with a friendly grin. After taking their orders she zipped back towards the kitchen and Finn glanced at Rey. 

“Looks like your coworker can match your energy. Does Maz have any idea what she's in for?”

Rey smiled. “Probably not. Petra should be fun to work with though.”

“Maz too,” Poe told them laugh. “Best boss I've ever had, excepting the General and myself. Oh, I worked here for a little while after I was first discharged,” he explained when he saw Finn and Rey's confused looks.

“A mark in Maz's favor then,” Rey said. “You seem to be a decent judge of character. Better than my brother.”

“Just because Nines was an asshole and Slip can't keep his mouth shut,” Finn muttered to her. He shook his head. “Eh, better I don't really hang out with my co-workers much anymore anyway.”

“Not just your old friends, brother dear, but your place of work too. First Order sucks,” Rey elbowed him.

Finn rolled his eyes, refusing to get drawn into a conversation he'd had with Rey a hundred times before. “Anyway, yes, Rey says your a great Professor. How long have you been teaching in the Avation Mechanics program?”

“Two years, though I've been out of the service a bit longer than that,” Poe replied. “Had a decent career, but I couldn't see re-enlisting again.” Something in Poe's eyes told Finn there was a story behind that, and not a happy one. Though his smile didn't quite meet his eyes, he continued. “After years of flying in the military, I couldn't give it up, so I got my private pilot's license and my Flight Instructor's license.”

When Rey saw the look in Poe's eyes, it reminded her of the look Finn got sometimes, when he talked about the Incident.

“Sounds like you've managed to adjust decently to civilian life,” Finn remarked. “Maybe you can give me some advise on that.” He stopped himself and shook his head. “But, we're here about flying lessons for Rey, first.”

“Maybe you and I can talk later,” Poe suggested. He reached over beside him and pulled out a blue folder from a leather messenger bag. He passed it over to Rey. “There's 40 hours of dual flight instruction, 40 hours of ground instruction, 50 hours in Cessna 172 G1000 Glass Cockpit Aircraft, and 7 hours of solo flight. The summer is the best season to start as I'll have time to take on more students with college classes being out.”

Rey and Finn flipped through the materials Poe had provided, Rey blanching a bit at the page outlining costs, but Finn shifted his shoulder slightly against hers in a reassuring gesture. 

“You can look over the paperwork and if you still want lessons, can fill out the forms online. Though you'll need to secure the FAA student pilot certificate/medical certificate,” Poe told her. “You already know your way a bit around aircraft, that's definitely a bonus.”

“Sounds good,” Rey said after a long moment, looking up from documents. Her lips quirked into a smile as she began to realize that this dream might really be coming true.

They chatted about more ordinary things as the food arrived, Rey's mind occupied with the idea of actual flight lessons, Finn feeling out of it due to lack of sleep. 

“Hey, you alright Finn?” Poe's voice broke through the haze and Finn realized he was slumping forward a bit, looking blankly at the remains of his burger.

“Rough night last night,” Finn admitted, and Rey glanced at him briefly in surprise. He usually wasn't was forthcoming about bad nights. Perhaps it was because he knew Poe was another veteran.

“I've had those,” Poe told him. “You seeing someone?”

“When they can make time for me,” Finn murmured. They both knew the local VA's resources were stretched thin. 

“It isn't professional help, but there's a group that meets Saturday mornings and Tuesday nights,” Poe told him. “At the VA Hospital. Not too many of us, but it might be good to talk to others.”

Finn considered. He'd heard about the Veterans support group, but over the past six months he'd never thought about going. His gut told him Poe was right though.

“Might come this Saturday,” Finn said at last. 

“We meet at 10am,” Poe informed him. He started sliding out of the booth. “I need to head out, but you have my number, Rey, why don't you give it to Finn.” He shot Finn a look that wasn't quite a smile, but a look of understanding. “Don't hesitate to call me.”


	4. Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn attends his first Veterans' Support Group meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to Disney/LucasArts
> 
> find me on tumblr @nytemere

Friday night Finn finally forced himself to take the sleep aid his doctor had prescribed after a third night of nightmares. He had another session with his therapist on Monday and he knew they would ask. Using a sleep aid always left Finn feeling slightly groggy and fuzzy the next morning, but his choices seemed either another sleepless night, or asking Rey to drive him to the VA for the Veteran's group on Saturday. He'd have to get an Uber home though since Rey was headed to work after she dropped him off.

Finn dragged himself through the morning, clutching a mug of black coffee to wake himself up in the living room while listening to Rey sing to herself in the kitchen while making omelets. 

At least, he reflected with another sip of coffee, he wasn't alone. He'd known other soldiers who had come home to nothing but broken homes or silence. Even with their father off gods knew where, he had Rey. Finn wasn't entirely certain how far he would have made it in the first few months of civilian life without his sister's support.

He sighed, his eyes focusing on coffee as he considered that. Rey had told him repeatedly she didn't mind helping him, and she was glad he was home because it meant she wasn't alone in a giant house anymore, but it didn't make him feel any less guilty at times.

“You're doing it again,” Rey's voice drifted to his ears, and he looked up to see her standing in the living room with two plates of omelets. 

He shifted on the couch to make room for her and accepted a plate, debating if it was worth pretending he didn't know what she was talking about.

Rey put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, big brother. Don't do this to yourself. You're here for me as much as I'm here for you, okay? I don't like being alone any more than you do.”

Finn managed a faint smile for Rey's sake. “Thanks Peanut.”

She smiled back before flipping on the TV, not bothering to change the station from the cooking channel Finn had been watching the night before, even if it was a repeat of Pioneer Woman.

“Can you imagine cooking for that many people?” Rey asked as they ate breakfast, watching as the hostess made some particularly large though uncomplicated desert.

Finn shook his head. “Only time I've ever been around that many people is in the service, or when they had a mandatory lunch meeting and fed us crappy pizza at work.”

“Makes me wonder what holiday dinners and stuff might have been like, with more of Dad's family,” Rey admitted, glancing towards him. “It makes me wonder why he never told us about our Aunt, or Han, or any of them.”

“We can try asking him next time he calls, but you know how Dad gets,” Finn said slowly. 

“What if we met Aunt Leia, and asked her?” Rey ventured.

Finn frowned slightly. “Do we really want to ask? I mean, it could be something personal between them. It's kind of weird, that Dad told us all sorts of stories about them, but never mentioned we were family.”

“Well, Dad isn't here to tell us why, but I want to find out more about them,” Rey said firmly. “I liked Han Solo. I want to call him, and Aunt Leia. I want to meet them, Finn.”

Some reluctant part of Finn said they should talk to Luke first, but that meant waiting another week or two, and he knew Rey; she was impulsive. She'd call Leia Organa-Solo on her own if Finn didn't say anything.

“Alright, you get off work at what, 8? We'll call them tonight,” Finn replied at last. “Han said we were free to call at any time.” 

That might be pushing it, but Rey was all but vibrating at the idea, and asking her to wait until after they were both free tomorrow afternoon might be a little too long for her patience.

“Deal.”

Finn found himself turning over that conversation in his mind as he waved at Rey while she drove off towards work. He was using it as a distraction really, to hide his nervousness over going to the Veteran's support group for the first time. He stared up at the VA for several moments before he forced one foot in front of the other and made his way inside. At least his leg wasn't making a lot of noise this morning. It was just another reminder of everything he'd lost, and everything he was still dealing with.

There were signs posted inside the lobby, leading him to a conference room on the first floor. Taking a deep breath, Finn pushed the door open.

Five others sat or stood inside, two of them mixing sugar into coffee at a side table of refreshments.

Poe sat with an Asian woman with long black hair and a slightly older bearded man with dark brown hair and eyes. The former pilot grinned when he saw Finn enter.

“Finn, great to see you buddy,” Poe gestured Finn over. “This is Jessica, though everyone calls her Testor,” he said, indicating the woman, “And this is-”

“Snap,” the brown haired man offered with a welcoming smile. “Or Wexley if you like last names.”

“You'll be lucky if he ever tells you his first name,” Jessica confided. “Welcome to the group, Finn.” 

Another woman with iron gray hair pulled into a pony tail and the weathered skin of one who has spent too much time sunning out doors nodded from where she leaned against one wall. “Margret Williams,” she offered by way of a greeting. 

Another African American man around Finn's edge finished stirring creamer into his coffee before joining Poe, Snap, and Jessica in the circle of chairs. “Name's Bastian. Nice to meet you, Finn.”

“Why don't you grab some coffee and come sit with us, Finn, then we'll get started?” Poe suggested.

Finn assessed the situation. The general atmosphere felt welcoming, non judgemental, and if he admitted it to himself, he needed something like this. His sessions and some medication helped, but the prospect of being around people who knew what he was feeling, who might understand?

Finn grabbed a cup of black coffee and took the empty seat beside Poe, feeling most comfortable there since he already knew Poe, even if he didn't know him that well. Poe smiled, his expression softening for a moment as he put a reassuring hand on Finn's shoulder.

Finn felt mild surprise when they didn't start with what he felt was the elephant in the room, but instead started chatting about the most recent round of superhero movies. Jessica caught the fleeting expression on his face and smiled. “Easier to break the ice with something a little lighter,” she told him. “And don't feel pressured to tell us anything you aren't ready to. We're here to support each other, even if its just the physical presence of other veterans. Depending on your mental state that day, sometimes that's what it takes.”

They spent a good fifteen minutes discussing the how realistic or not a particular scene was. Finn hadn't actually seen the movie yet, too nervous of his own reactions to go to the theater when Rey had gone to see it, but he'd read several articles on the infamous scene the others were describing. 

Margret rubbed the back of her neck and considered her coffee cup when she spoke. “I seized up once, during the film. I think the theater's surround sound might have made it more difficult, but the sounds.” She closed her eyes. “Brought back memories of the field hospital I worked in. Days we ran short on medicine, the sound of the explosions in the distance, you know how it goes.”

He suddenly knew it was better he hadn't gone with Rey. He found himself speaking into the silence after Margret's words. “Yeah, I know,” he said in a tone barely above a whisper. Poe leaned in a little, but Finn was fairly certain everyone could hear him in the quiet. “I haven't been able to go see a movie since I got back. The first month I barely left the house. My sister had to drag me to doctor's appointments.”

Finn's hand clenched on his knee, feeling the press of carbon fiber under his pant leg. “Work, home, sometimes places with my sister or a coworker, but always familiar places. I don't think I've been more than thirty miles from home except for a doctor's appointment in six months.”

“It's tough, a lot of times, to try and go beyond the familiar,” Poe told him, his voice laced with compassion, and when Finn looked up, he saw no pity in Poe's eyes, not like the eyes of some of the nurses or others he'd dealt with other the past several months.

Except for his managers at work, because he was certain sympathy didn't exist at First Order, Rey, and a hand full of others, everyone he'd been around had treated him like glass, and he hated it.

Poe didn't look at him that way, and as he looked up, neither did anyone else in the room.

“You can live like that,” Margret told him. “But it can also hamper things, when dealing with family, or emergencies. Some things can help it, others can. You've got to deal with it on your own time though.”

Her words brought him some comfort, unlike Slip who kept telling Finn he needed to learn to deal with his shit. 

Finn felt a faint smile flicker over his lips. “Thank you,” he said at last.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Finn lingered after the meeting broke up, fishing out his cell and eyeing the Uber app with a sigh. Poe glanced up at him after putting the last of the folding chairs against the wall. “Ya alright?” Poe asked.

“Hmm, yeah?” Finn replied. “Just have to get a ride home. Rey's at work now.”

“I can take you, if you want,” Poe offered casually, sticking his hands in the pocket of his jeans. 

“I don't want to make you go out of your way-” Finn began.

Poe snorted. “The only thing I have on my docket today is going home and playing with my dog, and maybe binge watching Netflix.”

Finn looked surprised. Based on what overheard conversation between Jess and Poe, Finn got the impression Poe spent a lot of his weekends with Jessica, Snap, and others he'd served with in the military. Poe chuckled at Finn's expression. “Yeah, I know, I spend a lot of time with Jess and Snap, but that's normally on Sundays. We get together and play board games, anything except Monopoly. Really, Finn, I'm wide open this afternoon.”

“If you don't mind then,” Finn said. “I, I could kind of use the company, actually.”

Poe smiled. “So could I.”


	5. New Possibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn hangs out with Poe. Rey and Finn contact Leia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to LucasArts/Disney
> 
> find me on tumblr: nytemere.tumblr.com

Somehow Finn and Poe ended up back at the Skywalker house on the couch after they'd swung by Poe's house to pick up his dog. Poe had been hestiant at first to bring her, but Finn assured him that he and Rey didn't have any pets, and even after a few minutes he found himself oddly enamored with Poe's dog. They sat with his adorable little corgi Bebe seated between them, head resting easily on Finn's thigh as they played Disney Infinity. Finn had been rather amused to discover that a man in his early 30s loved collecting Disney Infinity figurines.

“You can't tell me you don't have anything you collect now that you would have collected as a child if you could have,” Poe told him as they faced off against another round of enemies. 

Finn snorted and took a moment to grab a handful of popcorn before executing his character's special move. “Yeah, sure, my desk at home is literally covered in Lego sets,” he admitted. “Doesn't mean I can't chuckle at your toys too.”

Poe shrugged. “I play a lot of games like this, or fantasy games. I tend to stay away from a lot of the war games, won't touch Halo or some of the others at all.”

Finn suppressed a shutter. “Too many possible triggers,” he agreed. He leaned back into Poe's worn out couch. He was more relaxed now than he'd been in days, even around Rey. He loved his sister dearly, but she, thank God, hadn't experienced the battle field traumas he had. Rey had her own issues to deal with from their time in the system. 

“Hey, you okay?” Poe asked, his tone concerned as he glanced over at Finn. 

Finn realized he'd wandered off into his thoughts again. He smiled slightly. “Yeah, I'm alright. Better than usual, actually.” 

It was true. Sometime about Poe presence seemed naturally calming, for all that he'd known Poe for three days, less really, since he'd just met him Thursday night. “Rey's great,” Finn continued. “I don't know what I'd do without her, but there are things I feel I can't talk about around her. She's already got enough on her shoulders with school and shit our Dad did.”

Poe chewed on his lower lip a moment, a look that Finn suddenly found very endearing. “Mind..mind if I ask what's going on with that?” Poe asked. “Rey's made some offhand remarks when she stayed to talk after class, but never really went into any detail.”

Finn closed his eyes, debating how much he could tell Poe, and if Rey would mind.

“Rey and I were foster kids,” he said slowly. “Our Dad adopted us when she was eleven, I was about fifteen. He wasn't a bad parent, particularly compared to some of our past foster parents, but Luke's a little, kind of hard to describe. I was overseas last year when Rey graduated high school and Luke suddenly decided he needed to take a trip of 'self discovery.'” Finn could hear some of the bitterness creeping into his voice and he sighed. “Left Rey alone in our house, only calls like every two weeks. I mean, he still pays all the house bills and stuff, but its rough sometimes.”

“Sounds like it,” Poe said. The older man could read between the lines, catch the the undercurrent of loneliness in Finn's voice. “She's got you at least, and you have her. Family's important.” He thought about his own family, his Dad, somewhere down in Florida, and his mom, years dead, and how much he missed them both at times.

Finn nodded. “Yeah, it is. Kind of wish Dad was here sometimes. He was in the service, years ago. It might have been nice to come home to someone who can relate to the experience a bit.”

“Well, you've got me,” Poe clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “And don't be surprised if Jess and Snap and the others unofficially adopt you. Rey working tomorrow?” Poe didn't want to leave Finn's sister out, but there was also a possible issue with associated too much with a student outside of class. Rey only had a year left in the program and was done with all of Poe's classes (not to mention the fact Poe wasn't interested in women), but he wanted to error on the side of caution.

Finn smiled. “Yeah, she's working til 9, and since I have to be at work at 6am the next morning I wouldn't stay much later myself. Should I bring anything?”

Poe chuckled. “Well there's always beer, but there's other stuff too, soda, coffee, whatever. Maybe bring something to drink or eat. Snacks are always welcome.”

“I'll be there,” Finn promised.

Eventually Finn found himself yawning, and an amused Poe saw himself and Bebe out after extracting a promise to see Finn the following evening at Jess's and providing her address.

Finn let himself doze on the couch after locking the door behind Poe, the past few days catching up with him, even after a decent night sleep. He didn't even realize he'd drifted off, dreaming of Poe's strangely soothing presence and dancing corgis.

Night had fallen by the time he awoke to the sound of Rey letting herself in the front door. He blinked blearily at her as she paused to consider him as he lay on the couch. She gave him a relieved smile. “You actually get some rest today?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Finn yawned, sitting up slowly and stretching his muscles. He could nap on the couch, but sleeping on it for more than a few hours would never be a good idea between his hip and back. “Poe brought me home from the group, we played video games for a bit before he left.”

Rey grinned at her brother. “You spent the afternoon playing video games with my attractive professor?” 

Finn coughed and tossed a pillow at her. “I spent the afternoon playing video games with a new friend,” he replied. “I've got an invite to Jessica's house tomorrow night for board games.”

“Good, it will get out out of the house,” Rey told him. She occasionally hung out with friends she'd made in school, but Finn rarely left the house except for work or doing something with her these days. “They won't be playing Monopoly, will they? That one's a firm friendship ender.”

“No Monopoly,” Finn promised. “Do you know where our copy of Exploding Kittens is?”

Rey rolled her eyes at one of the stranger card games her brother had a fondness for. “Its on the shelf in the kitchen from the last time you and I played,” she told him. “Don't you get enough of that on your phone app?”

Finn shrugged. “It might be nice to actually play with people at a table.”

“True,” she conceded. Rey's eyes flickered to the analog on the wall. “9:30, think Leia will pick up?” she asked.

Finn sighed internally. He should have known Rey wouldn't forget about that. “Don't know. Only one way to find out.” He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and checked the battery. “Mine should be good.”

“Put it on speaker,” Rey instructed him as she went to grab something to drink from the kitchen. 

Finn scrolled through his contacts until he found the number Han Solo had given them for Leia Organa, and hit 'call.' Rey settled beside him on the couch and handed him a soda as they listened to the phone ring five thems, and then heard the sound of someone picking up the other end of the line.

“Leia Organa,” a steady woman's voice answered.

Finn and Rey both exchanged a momentary panicked glance as they realized they were really doing this, then Rey straightened her shoulders and spoke. “Hello Ms. Organa, this is Rey and Finn Skywalker. Han Solo gave us your phone number.”

“Damn you, Luke,” they heard Leia mutter before she spoke up. Her voice held a note of warmth. “Hello Rey and Finn. I'm sorry I haven't been able to speak with you or meet you before. I understand you're my brother Luke's children. Han's description of your meeting was rather colorful.”

“Yes. Dad adopted us several years ago,” Rey replied. “He mentioned you and Han, but he never mentioned he was related to you.” She elbowed Finn, indicating he should say something too.

“There's a lot Dad doesn't talk about,” Finn found his voice. “Honestly he doesn't know we're calling you but...well, we were curious.”

“Seems there's a lot my brother didn't tell us, or you,” Leia replied. “But I'll tell you want I can. I haven't seen your father in nine years, let alone had any communication with him though. We had a falling out then, over something he blamed himself for.”

Rey arched a brow and leaned forward. “Luke adopted Finn and I eight years ago. He's always tended to keep a low profile though. He home schooled us through an online program and usually only met with his agent and publisher when he had to.”

Leia snorted. “That sounds like Luke. So he made you two recluses too?”

“No, Rey and I had fencing,” Finn spoke up, feeling the need to defend Luke. “We had practice and competitions, and we went out to eat and took vacations and everything. Rey and I...”

He clammed up, not sure he wanted to tell a woman he really didn't know about their life before Luke had taken them in.

“We had trouble with past foster homes and school,” Rey supplied, squeezing Finn's hand. He was perhaps the only person, other than Luke, she was ever physically affectionate with. “Luke figured he was protecting us.”

“By keeping you from family?” Leia's voice replied, tone faintly disbelieving.

“Well, we don't know why he broke off contact with you,” Finn pointed out. “But we were curious, and since he still mentioned you.” There really wasn't any way to convey his shrug over the phone.  
They heard a pause and Leia talking to someone, Rey thought she recognized Han's voice, on the other end of the line. Finally Leia said, “Would you be willing to talk to me again, and perhaps meet me?”

Rey glanced at Finn, half hopeful look in her eyes. 

“Yes,” the siblings answered together.

“Well then,” Leia replied in a efficient tone. “Lets make a few plans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: each individual with ptsd has different triggers. For Finn in this scenario, certain depictions of battle found in film or game can trigger him. IRL this may be the case for some but not for others


	6. Developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn finally makes a decision about First Order.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to Disney/LucasArts
> 
> find me on tumblr: nytemere.tumblr.com

Finn threw his phone into after call mode and glared at the time as his last tech support customer finally hung up. He worked some overtime every week to help pay for Rey's flying lessons, but it was Sunday, and he'd intended to be out of there on time or just a little after three so he could pick up snacks on the way to Jess's house. At 2:30, Hux had informed him that he'd sent everyone else from the morning shift home, leaving Finn as the only tech manning the phones until the next shift started at 4:30. Technically policy said there should always be two people on the tech support desk, but Hux was notorious for letting his friends off early and sticking Finn with forced overtime.

Add to that the fact that Hux had attempted to write Finn up earlier for supposedly being two minutes late from luck (he'd been precisely three minutes early, thank you very much, Hux deliberately kept the clock at his desk faster than the clocks on the phones), Finn was fairly ready to tell Hux to shove it where the sun didn't shine.

He finished documenting the issue for the customer and logged out, ready to get out of here. The time read 4:47, and it would be half an hour to Jess's place on a Sunday evening. As he turned his computer off, he saw the evening manager, Phasma strolling by and resisted the urge to roll his eyes when she paused at his computer. 

“Why are you clocking out, FN-2187?” she demanded, using his employee ID number because she was an ass like that.

“Because my shift ended at 15:00 and it is now 16:47,” Finn informed her. 

“I was informed by Hux you would be working until 18:00,” she told him in a tone that brooked no argument.

Oh hell no, Finn thought.

“Well, Hux lied,” Finn told Phasma. “My scheduled shift is 6 to 3 every Sunday. I did not sign up or agree to work overtime today and Hux sent everyone but me home early, leaving me to cover until the evening shift arrived.”

“Your tone borders on insubordination, FN-2187,” Phasma replied cooly.

“Well you know what, you can take this job and shove it,” Finn told her. He grabbed the few personal items on his desk and dumped them in his backpack. “Because I quit.”

Finn tossed his badge at Phasma and marched out, ignoring her scolding tone as she told him to come back and log back into his desk. He had had it with First Order, and he'd be damned if he wasted any more of his time on this place.

He was half way to Jess's house before he really realized what he'd done. He'd quit his job, the thing he needed to help pay grocery bills and for Rey's flying lessons. Sure he was entitled to his final paycheck, but he wouldn't put it past First Order to make him walk in and collect it rather than using direct deposit. The next set of fees for Rey's lessons were due in just a couple of weeks.

What in hell was he going to do?  
His thoughts whirled as he pulled into Jess's driveway. Mechanically Finn put the car and park and turned off the ignition while he placed his forehead on the steering wheel, trying to process what his next steps would be. A mild sense of panic began to set in. When he'd joined the Army, he'd welcomed the structure of boot camp, and as he continued to serve the military lent his life a certain structure that he'd come to rely upon. Until Luke had adopted them, Finn and Rey's lives had been anything but predictable. 

After his discharge, finding a job and working long hours had given him a continued structure he sometimes clung to, avoiding thinking too hard about anything. Since the start of this summer, though, his life felt as if it had tipped into chaos, beginning with Finn and Rey's trip to Maz's after a day of watching planes at the airport.

There was so much in life that he couldn't control, and clinging to a bad schedule at First Order had been his way of coping since coming back from the war.

He vaguely realized he was breathing too quickly and working himself into a panic attack, the world spinning around him. The inner part of him could only watch though, a casual observer in his own body, as everything spun to pieces around him. It felt like he was trying to claw through a fog, listening to the sound of his own panicked breath and a sense of helplessness as he trembled.

He heard banging on the glass, and then felt a rush of air as the door popped open and someone unbuckled him from his seat and pulled him from the car.

“Whoa, breath Finn, breath with me.” Poe's voice began to break through the fog. The scent of Poe's aftershave hit him and for some reason began to ground him, combined with the sound of Poe's smooth voice in his ear.

Later Finn might tell himself these feelings were dangerous, that he was becoming very fond of a man that he'd only known a few weeks, but for now, Finn began to breath more slowly, in and out, concentrating on each breath and the rhythm of Poe's own breathing. The trembling lessened and the fog began to clear. He realized he was pressing his head against Poe's shoulder, his hands tight on the other man's arms. He should feel embarrassed, he thought, but when he slowly raised his head, all he saw was understanding sympathy in Poe's eyes, not pity, something that told him that Poe knew what it was like to be in this position.

“Thanks,” Finn finally sighed out, beginning to pull back. Poe let him, but he kept a reassuring hand on Finn's shoulder. “Just...started freaking out. It's been a rough day.”

“What to talk about it, or just head inside?” Poe asked. Finn was vaguely aware that Jess was standing nearby, regarding them for a long moment before she started to head back inside.

One deep breath, and then another, and Finn said, “I quit my job.”

Poe lifted an eyebrow, waiting to see if Finn would say anything else. 

Finn forced himself to grab the bag of chips and gummy bears (this group had an odd weakness for gummy bears), and his backpack, and started moving towards the door after locking the car. Poe fell into step beside him, not pushing him or asking any more questions, just waiting patiently. They were at Jess's door before Finn spoke again.

“Think I've mentioned it before, it wasn't a very good work environment, but the money was good,” Finn admitted. “But today Hux sent everyone but me home, against protocol, and then lied to another manager and claimed I'd be staying til six. I just, kind of got pissed and told them off.”

“And now you're worried because you don't have a job,” Poe said, his expression again understanding. He smiled slightly. “You'll figure something out. Maybe we can help out a bit. For now, Finn, I think you just need and evening to try and relax, alright?”

That and Poe didn't want Finn trying to drive after a panic attack like that. He considered asking Finn if he had any of his medication on hand for anxiety attacks and Finn gave him a rueful glance that said he knew exactly what Poe was thinking. “Yeah, in my backpack. Thanks Poe.”

Poe's smile widened and he followed Finn inside.

Jess didn't question him about the panic attack she'd witnessed, and Poe just got him a glass of water to take with his pill. After several minutes, Finn did find himself relaxing around the other vets as they settled around the table to play Talisman. Finn enjoyed it because it reminded him of some of the Chose Your Own Adventure novels he'd devoured from the library while growing up. 

He declined a beer due to his medication and stuck to soda that night, and noticed idly that Poe did the same. Poe merely smiled at him when Finn regarded the can of Mountain Dew in his hand.

As the conversation turned to how their weeks had gone, somehow Finn's quitting his job came up, but surrounded by this group, and the support he'd found among them just within the past few weeks, he only felt the edge of panic before Jess nudged his arm lightly with a hand.

Snap snorted. “ 'Bout time, Finn. First Order is trouble. Anyone I've known who has worked there has either gotten totally burned out or became an asshole. You're better off finding another job.”

“Yeah, but I need to find a new job and fast, there's still bills to pay,” Finn sighed.

“You know some companies do work from home,” Jess offered. “Some of the big ones, Apple and all. Can't hurt to apply. But have you thought about going back to school?”

Finn blinked. “My sister's already in school right now,” he said lamely. “Figured one of us in school is enough right now.” That, and he really wasn't sure that he wanted to face people in the classroom, even at the local community college.

“There are colleges out there that offer all their classes online,” Snap piped in. “You can look into them. A couple are shady, for profit and all, but not all of them are bad. It's worth a shot to look into, since you're already going to be job hunting online anyway.”

Finn found himself glancing at Poe and the older man shrugged. “It isn't a bad idea,” he said. “Some of your experience in the military may translate, some of it may not. You can always see if you can qualify to go part time and work from home, or find another job around here.”

Finn had to admit, their ideas weren't bad ones.

“I'll think about it,” he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic attacks...panic attacks suck. I patterned Finn's off of a couple that I've had. It is important to remember though that everyone reacts to anxiety and panic attacks differently.


	7. Meet the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Rey finally meet with their Aunt, Leia Organa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to LucasArts/Disney

Finn was beginning to wonder if everything in Pine Lakes revolved around Maz's. He and Rey were finally meeting Leia Organa tonight, at Maz's, by Leia's request. The woman had originally invited them to her home, but Rey and Finn were still a little nervous about meeting this woman who was evidently their aunt, and felt a public setting would be better. So on a Wednesday night,a week and a half after Finn had quit his job at First Order, he and Rey arrived.

Finn took a deep breath as they pulled into the parking lot and he shut off the old jeep. He glanced across the center console at his sister, who was staring very determinedly at Maz's. 

He saw Rey roll her shoulders out of the corner of his eyes and finally turn her head to meet his gaze. "You sure you're okay with this?" Rey asked aloud. She'd been wanting to meet with Leia for weeks, but their father's odd decision to tell his children about Leia yet never mention Leia was his sister weighed on their minds

Finn nodded, glancing back towards Maz's. "Let's just get it over with," he said aloud.

Rey nodded slowly, and let Finn take the lead. They got out of the car and wandered up to the restaurant, stepping inside as they had dozens of times before. Both felt a little surprised to see Maz at the hostess stand. The tiny African American woman regarded them with a knowing look as they stepped inside, her dark eyes saying she had clearly expected them. She looked at Finn in particularly, and something about her smile reassured him a bit. "Ahh, I expected you two a few minutes ago. Come with me, they are already here."

"They?" Rey inquired while Finn turned the word over in his mind, but she and Finn began following Maz anyway. 

"Organa, Solo, and Chewie of course," Maz replied. Before they rounded a corner she paused and reached up, putting a hand on Finn's elbow. "This will go better than you think, young man, trust me on this."

"I swear you read minds," Finn muttered under his breath as Maz then lead them around a corner and to a back, circular booth.

"Just emotions," Maz replied airily. 

Rey looked as relieved as Finn felt that it wasn't just Leia Organa waiting for them. They'd seen Han and Chewie a few times since they'd first met the odd pair, always here at Maz's, and it helped to see a familiar pair of faces.

Finn stopped when they reached the boot, seeing the amused smiles on Han and Chewie's faces as they rose from the booth. Finn was aware of Chewie's bone crushing hugs for him and Rey, and Han's familiar tone, but most of his attention was on the tiny white woman with deep brown eyes and gray streaked brown hair pulled back into a bun. She wore a suit and looked like she'd be as comfortable in a board room as she was here. She followed Han in sliding out of the booth, and approached Rey and Finn with a warm smile.

"You two must be Finn and Rey Skywalker," she said by way of greeting, offering her hand, and Finn was surprised by the strength of her grip. "My name is Leia Organa."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Organa," Finn found himself saying as Rey shook the woman's hand. He was somewhat amused by the fact that Leia and Rey were of a very similar height. It seemed his life would be dominated by tiny woman who could and would kick the ass of anyone who got their their way.

Leia shook her head and replied in a very firm voice. "Leia, or Aunt, since you two are my niece and nephew, for all that my brother neglected to mention you two over the years." She sighed at that. "For which I am sorry. Had I know earlier about you two..."

"Dad's always preferred a bit of isolation," Finn admitted, exchanging a glance with Rey. "At least as long as we've been with him."

"There's a reason for that, though not necessarily a good reason," Leia replied, her gaze a bit sad. "Why don't we all have a seat and order dinner before we get into more serious discussions though?"

"Sounds good," Rey agreed, quickly scooting into one side of the booth. Somehow Rey ended up beside Leia, Finn beside Rey, and Han and Chewie on the other side of Leia. The waiter came and took their orders while Han asked general questions about how Rey and Finn had been since the last time he'd seen them.

Finn watched Han and Leia carefully, wondering what was going on through their heads. He and Rey had talked with Leia a few times on the phone since that initial phone call, and while every interaction by phone had seemed welcoming, he still felt caution. Leia evidently felt she knew why her brother had cut off contact with her and the rest of the family, why he'd isolated himself and his children, to an extent. 

Luke Skywalker was undeniably brilliant, and he had a way about him that made it seem impossible to argue with him, as Finn and Rey had found out a few times when they were growing up. Yet even living in the same house with the man for years, there had been a certain veil of mysteriousness about Luke that Finn had never managed to pierce, and he knew there were things his father had never told he or Rey about. It had been frustrating on more than one occasion.

He only hoped Leia wasn't the same way.

As they waited for their food, he caught Leia watching he and Rey closely, and a faint frown creased Finn's brow. He could see a similar expression on Rey's face.

"Alright," Rey spoke first. "So you're Dad's twin sister, but why would he keep us away from you?"

Something akin to grief flickered over Leia's expression, but Finn and Rey could see the resolve in her eyes.

"Several years ago, before Luke adopted the two of you, he acted as a teacher and tutor for my son, Ben Solo," Leia said, her firm voice belying the grief in her eyes. Finn saw Han reach across the table and take Leia's hand. "Ben was brilliant, but erratic at times. He got very bored at school, even the advanced academies we sent him to, so Luke offered to teach him privately, using his own knowledge and home schooling courses. It worked decently, for a few years, but as Ben grew older, he grew more and more...distant."

Her voice trailed off and Han squeezed her hand, picking up the story, his voice a bit rough. "We thought Ben was just going through a typical rebellious teen phase, the sort of thing you expect when puberty hits, a kid gets older, and kids try and establish themselves and their own personality. It was a bit more serious than that, though." Even Han's eyes looked sad as he spoke, and Finn and Rey could tell he and Leia were supporting each other through what seemed like a difficult story for them.

But what, Finn wondered, did a rebellious cousin have to do with Luke cutting himself off from the rest of the family?

"I didn't want to admit what was happening," Leia continued. "But Ben fell in with the wrong crowd. Han and I were too busy with the family business, and Luke was just trying to keep Ben on track in school. He didn't seem to know how to deal with the influence Ben's new friends had on him. He fell in with a street preacher named Snoke, who had some rather unsavory views, and began calling himself Kylo Ren."

Leia heaved a sigh and meet Finn and Rey's gazes. She lowered her voice before she spoke, glancing around to ensure that there was literally no one else around. No wonder they'd chosen a quiet Wednesday night. "Luke blamed himself for Ben getting caught up in the wrong crowd. Then Ben suddenly went off and cut off all contact with us." Her eyes went a little distant.

"We got a call that Ben had been killed about eight months later," Han supplied "Luke blamed himself for all of it. He became a hermit of sorts, for several months," Han supplied. "That was nine years ago."

"So Dad blamed himself, and withdrew from everything," Finn said at last.

"Then adopted us sometime after Ben died and freaked whenever we were out of his sight," Rey added.

"Then I joined the military, Dad freaked out again and rather than withdrawing, or dealing with me being deployed, he took off...he ran away," Finn said, his voice tight.

"That sounds about right," Han said. He glanced at Leia, noting her expression darkening at Luke evidently just up and leaving.

"So Finn leaves home and Dad runs away instead of dealing with it," Rey repeated Finn's words, somewhat bitterly.

"I'm sorry, you two," Leia told them. "This is a lot to take in."

"It is," Rey admitted. "I think Finn and I need some time to think on everything before we go any further."

"That's fair," Leia agreed. "After tonight, well, you two have my contact information. If you'd like to continue...you can reach out."

Finn and Rey exchanged a long look before Finn shrugged and Rey nodded.

"We'll think about it," Rey said at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke had reasons he isolated his kids. This does not mean they are good reasons. Sometimes intention means shit when actions cause harm to other people
> 
> I considered a lot of scenarios with Ben Solo in this story, but ultimately the focus is on Poe and Finn, and to an extent Rey, and building relationships with others.


	8. Family and Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn gets a job offer and finds family and friends to spend a holiday with.
> 
> Author's note - This chapter deals in part with PTSD triggers surrounding the 4th of July. So before you go celebrating holidays with fireworks, be courteous of your neighbors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to LucasArts/Disney.
> 
> find me on tumblr: nytemere.tumblr.com

Finn sat at a booth and Maz's, local paper spread out on one side of the table and laptop in front of him, searching through job postings for yet another day. He'd quit First Order at the beginning of June, and now it was nearly July 4th and he was still without any real job prospects. He supposed it could be worse, it had only been a few weeks, but there were still bills to pay and he was draining his savings to pay them.

At 2pm on a Wednesday, he knew that Maz wouldn't mind his presence, and he was starting to go stir crazy at home, so he'd ended up driving Rey to work and staying during part of her afternoon shift.

He glanced up, noting his sister standing at the front podium, boredly counting signatures on the wall. Maz's would be pretty dead until the dinner rush.

He went back to scanning through job listings on his laptop, debating if he might not be better of trying to get a warehouse job, at least for now, while he figured out what he was going to do with his life. Part of the problem was that Pine Lakes was big enough to warrant a community college and a fair number of warehouse and other such jobs, but still an hour or more outside of the closest major city. With most job postings being an hour or more away, he didn't relish the thought of how much he'd pay in gas even if he did find a good job outside of Pine Lakes.

Finn sighed and opened up the application for one of the local warehouses, reading over the requirements as he heard the front door swing open.

He was only barely aware of the customers that entered, until Han Solo's voice interrupted his thoughts and he glanced up to see his Uncle standing beside his table.

"Still job hunting, kid?" Han asked, glancing over at the classifies spread on the table.

Finn and Rey had texted, and called once or twice, with Han and Leia since their meeting last week. While their father had made the decision to isolate them from family, both felt they were old enough at this point to decide if they wanted to interact with their father's family or not. It wasn't as if Luke was around to give his opinion, anyway.

Finn sighed. "Yeah, not having a lot of luck." 

Han gave him a considering look at slid into the booth across from Finn, causing the younger man to lift his brows. 

"How do you feel about keeping track of schedules and answering phones?" Han inquired. "Basically an Administrative Assistant position?"

Finn frowned slightly and shrugged. "Good a job as any, I suppose," he said after considering a moment. It couldn't be any worse than working for First order. "Though I'd want to see the specifics for the position and company before I applied. Why, do you know anyone hiring?"

Han snorted. "Yeah, Organa-Solo Charters. Our previous assistant at the airport up and quit two days ago. Our main office is in Baltimore, but we've got the office out here in Pine Lakes too. I've been dealing with it the past two days, and frankly I'd rather be flying."

Finn's brow creased. "Wouldn't it be nepotism if you hired me?"

Han shrugged. "It's a small, family business, kid. We only employee a couple of other pilots. We've got an accountant that handles payroll and all of that. I just need someone to keep track of things in the office here."

Finn chewed on his lip for a moment, considering if he'd really want to work for family he'd only recently met. Finally he said, "I want to do this the right way at least. Is there an application I can fill out?"

Han smirked faintly. "Stop by the office in an hour or so."

Right now, Finn really didn't have anything to lose. "Alright, I'll see you then."

Han slipped out of the booth and clapped Finn on the shoulder. "See you then." Then his Uncle was headed out the door, pausing long enough to greet Rey before he left, leaving Finn to exchange a glance with his sister and ponder the events of the past ten minutes.  
~~

"You doing anything tomorrow?" Poe inquired as he and Finn walked out of the VA after that Saturday's meeting, his brown eyes glancing towards Finn inquiringly. 

Finn sighed, rubbing at his forehead. He wasn't looking forward to July 4th and the town's planned activities. There would be fireworks, something he knew now he didn't react well to. "Not really. Just...thinking about staying in the basement, riding it out. Rey's scheduled to work."

Han and Leia had invited them both to Baltimore, but Finn liked that prospect even less than the festivities in Pine Lake. They had promised to drive out Tuesday night, though, to have dinner with their Aunt and Uncle.

Poe paused as they reached Finn's car, understanding flickering over his features. "It's never been one of my favorites either," he admitted. "I usually head to my dad's place. He's far enough out in the country that I can escape most things. Closest neighbor is miles away, and even they're usually considerate." He considered. "You're welcome to come with me if you want."

Finn tilted his head, seeing nothing but understanding in the older vet's expression. After spending the past several weeks seeing Poe on a weekly basis, he liked to think he could call Poe and the others he hung out with on Sundays friends. 

And if he admitted it to himself, he wouldn't mind spending more time with Poe just one on one.

"Sure," Finn said, managing a smile. "I'd like that, if your dad wouldn't mind."

Poe snorted. "He'd just be happy to see me bring someone else around, friend or more."

Finn lifted a brow at that last word, and he swore Poe colored just a bit.

"So," Poe said, rubbing the back of his neck, something Finn had come to realize was a nervous gesture. "Why don't I pick you up around noon tomorrow?"

"Want me to bring anything?" Finn inquired, finding himself actually looking forward to tomorrow now.

"Maybe dessert?" Poe suggested, smiling back.

Finn was already thinking of what he'd need to pick up at the store on the way home. "Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you then, buddy," Poe replied.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe takes Finn to meet his dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Wars belongs to Disney/LucasLtd
> 
> I am sorry to my readers for so long between updates. I'm going to try and update this one about once a month going forward. Thank you for your patience. And thank you Lights for your continued support!

Finn was waiting on the front porch when Poe showed up in his CR-Z the following day, holding a soft shell cooler in one hand. Finn smiled as the orange and white car pulled into the driveway and moved to the passenger seat, unsurprised to see Bebe already there, wagging her tail and barking happily when she saw Finn. She let him get into the passenger seat and promptly sat herself in his lap as he put the cooler in the back seat.

"Huh, seems you've made a friend," Poe said in an amused tone as Finn buckled his seat belt. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Finn replied, stroking Bebe behind the ears as Poe pulled out of the driveway. "You sure your dad won't mind me coming?"

Poe snorted. "Finn, it's been so long since I took anyone home that he'll be thrilled. I mean-" Poe paused, a flush coming to his cheeks as he realized just how his words sounded.

Finn gave a nervous laugh, glancing sidelong at Poe. "Been awhile since you dated anyone?" he asked.

"I was still in the service last time I went on a date," Poe admitted, his eyes carefully on the road and not looking at Finn. "It didn't exactly go well."

Finn sensed there was a story there, but Poe might not be willing to talk about it.

"I don't think I've been on a date since I joined the Marines," Finn said instead. "And after everything that happened, it just didn't seem like a good idea. I've got...baggage. I'm not exactly a dream come true for some man or woman, panic attacks and all."

Poe shot him a fierce glance. "Don't put yourself down like that, Finn. We've all got baggage, in one form or another. God knows I've got my own. Yeah, it isn't something everyone can handle, but everything I've seen tells me your a great guy. You're smart, you're honorable, you clearly love your sister and care about your friends."

"I could say something similar about you," Finn challenge, suddenly feeling an urge to tell Poe just how much he found he liked the older man.

And he did. He'd thought Poe was attractive from day one, but the more time he spent with the other man, even if they'd only known each other a handspan or two of weeks, Poe had been nothing but helpful, supportive, and caring towards Finn. He didn't treat Finn like glass, but he seemed to know exactly how to best react when Finn was having trouble.

"Thanks," Poe said, flushing again. His hands tightened on the wheel again and silence fell over the car.

Finn sensed a tension there and didn't know what to say. He sighed as he felt his nerve to mention his attraction to Poe slip away. After a few minutes, he turned his head towards the window, watching the countryside flying by as Bebe perched on his lap and rested her paws on the door rest, looking out the window.

Bebe barked occasionally at passing cars and the radio played in the background as the miles slipped by, neither man seeming know what to say as they drove in awkward silence. 

Finally after half an hour, Finn heard Poe sigh audibly. Poe kept his eyes resolutely on the road as he spoke. "I was in a long term relationship before, when I was in the service. After DADT was repealed we were actually able to be a bit more open about it, but we still had to be careful. We wanted to get married after we got out of the military. But he was killed in an accident five years ago. I haven't really dated since."

Finn slowly turned to look at Poe, seeing the tension in his friend's body. If Poe had been that close, that in love with someone else, he could understand why the man had trouble talking about it now. He remembered now, very briefly, the one time that his Dad had mentioned being in love with someone and had broken up with him. Rey and Finn were fairly certain Luke had never really dated after adopting them. He certainly had never introduced them to anyone.

"I'm sorry," Finn said at last, unsure of what else to say. He reached out a bit hesitantly, and put a hand on Poe's thigh for a moment when the other man didn't flinch away. He knew some people were odd about being touched by others.

Poe smiled tightly. "Jess has been trying to get me to date again for the past two years, said Muran wouldn't want me living my life alone. It's just hard, opening myself up again like that. I'm afraid I'll fall in love again and then lose them."

"If there's one thing my experience has taught me, it's that you're never guaranteed that something won't happen," Finn said slowly.  
"But closing yourself off...I wanted to shut everyone out after I lost my leg." He smiled fondly. "Rey wouldn't let me though. She said she'd drag me screaming back to life if she had to."

He still hadn't moved his hand off Poe's thigh, and the older man glanced down at it a moment, at Finn, then back at the road.

Now or never, Finn told himself.

"I like you Poe, a lot," he admitted. "I get if you don't like me the same way and I don't want to lose your friendship, but I feel I have to tell you this, that I might not get the chance if I don't now."

"I wouldn't be taking you to meet my dad if I didn't like you," Poe told him. "I don't know how good I might be at this relationship thing, after so long but.."

"I'm willing to try if you are," Finn told him.

The slow smile that spread over Poe's lips was like the sun coming up, and Finn swore that he'd do anything he could to see Poe smile like that again.

"So we're doing this?" Finn asked. "You're introducing me to your dad as?"

"My boyfriend?" Poe asked hopefully. "If you're willing to try this dating thing, even with my past and all."

"I can't be Muran, but I'd like to think you and I might be able to be good together," Finn said. "So yeah, as your boyfriend." The word tasted so good on his tongue. "I'd like that."

Poe took one hand off the wheel and took the hand Finn had resting on his thigh into his own, his fingers interlacing with Finn's for a moment, and brought Finn's hand up to his lips to kiss his knuckles before letting Finn's hand go and gripping the wheel again with both hands.

"I think today just got even better," Finn said in a light tone.

Poe grinned. "I think you're right."


End file.
